U.S. stops disclosing Guantanamo hunger strike tally

Dec. 4, 2013 - 01:46PM
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MIAMI — A spokesman for the Guantanamo Bay prison says the U.S. military will no longer disclose to the media and public whether prisoners are on hunger strike.

The policy change announced by Navy Cmdr. John Filostrat is a break from the past at the U.S. base in Cuba. Prison officials have for years reported how many prisoners are on strike and how many have lost enough weight that they can be force-fed under military guidelines.

Filostrat said Wednesday that officials decide releasing the information helps prisoners quote “further their protests” and has no “operational purpose.”

A mass hunger strike over conditions peaked at 106 prisoners in July. The Miami Herald reports that there were 15 inmates on strike as of Monday, all thin enough to be force fed.